Loose-leaf binder



June 24 .1924.

J. COSTELLO mom/m June 24. 1924. 1,499,294

J. COSTELLO X10051, LEAF BINDER Filed Aug. 9, 1922v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES 9 l/VVE/VTUR a 4 Jbhn, Cosillo 4 HORNE r Patented June 24, 1924,

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN COSTELLO, or BROOKLYN, 'lviiw.YORK.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed August 8, 1922. Serial No. 580,464.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CosrnLLo, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Loose-Leaf Binder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has relation to loose leaf binders and has particular reference to an improvement in that type of binders known to the trade as prong binders.

The invention'contemplates a loose leaf prong binder in which the prongs are directly carriedby the binder back in order when the binder is opened to permit the cover flaps to lie perfectly flat upon a sup porting surface whereby prongs of a maxi-' mum length may be used.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a binder of this character which includes a leaf clamping means capable of a wide opening to facilitate the insertion or removal of the leaves.

The invention further aims to provide in a loose leaf prong binder a means for retaining the prongs thereof in correlative engagement with the leaves and in which said retaining means may be readily manipulated to admit of the disengagement and relative separation of the prongs to effect the re moval or application of the leaves to the binder.

As a still further object the invention aims to provide a loose leaf prong binder which is extremely simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is hi hly efficient in its purpose.

ith the above recited and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth in the followingspecification, particularly pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the right is reserved to embodiments other than those actually illustrated herein to the full extent indicated by the general meaning of the terms in which the claim is expressed.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the binder with the leaf retaining means in locked condition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the leaf engaging means in released condition.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view illustrating the pron mounting.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference,.10 designates the back member of the binding which is formed with hinged- 'ly connected opposite side portions or connecting strips 11, the free edges of which are hingedly connected to the cover flaps 12.

The side portions or connecting strips 11 are provided with spaced prongs 13 projecting inwardly therefrom, which prongs are of arcuate formation to coincide with the arcuate path of movement during the swinging of the side portions or connecting stri s 11 from their open to, closed position. I s is customary with this type of loose leaf binder, the leaves are providedwith spaced to facilitate the application and removal of the pages or leavesthereto. The means for holding the portions or connecting strips 11 at substantially a right angle to the back 10 and the prongs in correlated clamping relation to the pages comprises a coupling member 14: having hooks 15 at its opposite sides and hooks 16 engageable therewith and carried by the side portions or connecting strips 11. nature of a sliding catch mounted on a hearing plate 17 and normally forced by springs 18 in a direction to engage the hooks 15 and 16 with each other. Preferably the coupling element is slidablebetween the guide bars 19 and the bearing plate 17 as illustrated. The bearing plate is provided with a base flange 20 which is secured to the back member 10 and the hooks 16 are provided with a base flange 21 which is secured to the inner face of each side portion or connecting strip 11. The coupling element is provided with a manipulating handle 22. Preferably a coupling element is provided at each of the opposite ends of the backmember 10 and a hook 16 at each of the opposite ends of the side portions or coupling strips 11. The prongs 13 may be constructed in pairs from a single length of wire bent in U-form with The coupling element is in the ments 1 1 are normally forced under the =ac-' tion of the springs 18 away from the back member 10 to engage the hooks 1'5 With the hooks 16 whereby the side portions orconnecting strips 11 are disposed at a right anr gle to the back member 1.0 with thefreeends of the prongs extendingfrom-eachstrip into .close relation to the opposite strip tea-preclude the accidental displacement of the leaves or'pajges from the-binding. *VVhenit is desired to remove or apply the pages, the

'manipulating handles 22 are :depressed to disengage the hooks .15 from the books 16;

vthis permits ofthe swinging of the side portions or connecting strips outwardly and navvay fromeach other vvherethey maymlie flat and in thesameiplane With the back 10.

The cover flaps 12 may also be disposed in the same plane with the back Wh en the binding is-open. In closingthebinding,the

' noses of the hooks 16 will engageover the notches of the lugs 15 todepress the couplingelement 141 against the action of the spring withoutthe necessity of employing the manipulating handles 22 for this purpose.

I claim: i

A loose leaf note bookbinder comprising a back, side strips hingedly secured to the back, cover flaps secured to the side strips, substantially U shaped prongs mounted through each side strip adapted to overlap when'the book is closed, a bearing plate se- \c.ured to-theback. by its base flange and having a vertical portion adjacent the end of the back, a spring actuated coupling member mounted forsliding movement with respect ,to the vertical portion .of the bearing ,plate, 'means for guiding said couplingmember in a vpath of-movement'parallelto the vertical -portion ofthe bearing plate, said "coupling member having niches cut in its 9 upper edge adjacent each side vforming 'a hook. at each end, and plates secured to each side strip by a base flange, said plates having a vertical portion with .a niche in one side forming a hook at the vend of'the plate adapted to enterthe niches zin the .couplingimember and the hooks of the coupling member adapted to venter'the niches in theplates when .the side members :are swung into" vertical position. 7

JOHN COSTELLO. 

